Series 01/10 Journey with Abraham

Sermon One The Call of Abraham Genesis 11.29-13.4

What is the Christian Life? It has been described in many ways, I like the idea that the Christian life is a WALK. This word gives the impression that being a Christian is all about progress, purpose, presence, pace and perseverance. We may not recognise it, but the simple fact is that we are either making progress or slipping away, no one remains static in the Christian life! Over the coming weeks we will journey with Abraham, learn the lessons of his life and develop insights in how to walk more closely with God.

Beginnings

• Abram was a man in his mid 70s, married to Sara they were childless
• Living in Ur, a sophisticated centre of culture and commerce over 4000 years ago
• Abram was at the time an idolater, worshipping the moon goddess
• He appears to be quite wealthy and influential

Abram’s Call ( Gen 12.1-3)

• God spoke to Abram, telling him to leave is country and family and go to the place God would show him
• We do not know why God called Abram, maybe it was some crisis or cry from Abram’s heart. The call certainly was not some random act by God. What we do know is that God called Abram and Abram heard and responded.
• GOD IS CALLING PEOPLE TODAY… HAVE YOU HEARD HIS CALL?
• Gods call was crystal clear, He promises to change Abram’s life radically.
• All God asks is that Abram trusts him and leaves everything behind! Leave his city, his comfort zone, all that is familiar, his commercial contacts and even his family.
• Incredibly Abram obeys. The first step of obedience is often the biggest.

A personal call and a promise

• Some 17 times personal pronouns are used in the first verses of Genesis 12, God knows Abram personally, has revealed himself personally and makes both the call and promises personally.
• God calls us personally by name, he knows us completely
• Gods personal call comes often in the ordinary times and places of life.  We do not know what he was doing at the time, evidence from other Bible characters underlines God calls us in the rough and tumble of  normal life
• God promises to saturate him with blessing, God will bless him and make him a blessing to others. God will give him a child, who will grow into a  nation who will in turn be the instrument of blessing . GOD PROMISES TO ENLARGE HIM

Series 02/10 The Parables – insights to the genuine Christian life

Jesus used parables to present a picture of spiritual truth, a picture that we need Gods help with f we are truly to understand and apply them to our lives.  Jesus was of course the great story teller, catching his hearers interest, rousing both emotion and questions. Most important of all each parable requires a response. In this series we will be looking at a selection of parables and applying them carefully to our situations and circumstances . The best way to study a parable is to just focus on the main theme and not get too distracted with the detail. The notes that follow are not an outline of each sermon as such, they are rather a brief summary  focused on the main theme and application of each parable.

Sermon One – Mustard and Yeast

Everyone loves a story! Rich characters, interesting plots, surprises! A good story catches our interest, makes us think and helps us to remember. Jesus used stories as effective teaching vehicles to press home what he was saying. Today we are going to look at two parables dealing with tiny, small and seemingly insignificant things. Both give us important insight in how God asserts his presence and power in our lives, e ach can begin a revolution within you, the church and community in 2010

Matthew 17.20 (13.32) The Parable of the Mustard seed

Here Jesus gives us a potent picture of the work God does within us and though us. The mustard tree was the biggest tree found in Palestinian gardens, it was huge. The surprise of how big it is ,is all the more when  we see how very very tiny its seed are. When asked to describe the Kingdom by his disciples (Mark 4.30), Jesus speaks of how a small, seemingly insignificant mustard seed can grow into a huge tree

The best way to understand a parable is to focus on its one central meaning or picture, Jesus is saying that small beginnings can have great consequences. A prayer, an action, a gift, a commitment, a decision,  a conversation – all may seem just tiny insignificant acts but may grow into something truly tremendous . God Loves to take the feeble, inconsequential things of life and make them great. God can take a small church, a lone Christian at work, a small prayer meeting and do something awesome. Very often things in the kingdom begin small and turn out life changing.

Never underestimate small starts, little steps or tiny beginnings. In 2010 what exciting small step are you going to take?

Luke 13.20-21 The Parable of the Yeast

Like the mustard seed yeast is tiny but it can have a big effect. In Bible times a lump of leavened bread was kept in the “pantry”, a piece being added to new dough as a new loaf was being made. Jesus spoke often about Yeast, sometimes in a negative way when he spoke of sin and the Pharisees. He also used the illustration of yeast to describe the principle of multiplication. How influence, either positive or negative, may spread.

Yeast is essentially an alien component added to the dough, as it is kneaded(worked into the dough) it changes the nature of the dough enabling it to expand and rise.  What a great picture of Gods work within us.  It just takes a little Gospel truth, a small word from God, a touch from the Holy Spirit to have great effect. The fact is that just as the year needs to touch every part of the dough, so God must gain access to every aspect of us.

Session One                                                                                          Introducing 1 Timothy

1. 1. Timothy fact file

• “One who honours God”
• Mixed parenthood (2 Tim 1.5 and 3.15)
• Converted through Paul’s ministry in Acts 16, he joins the team in Acts 17
• A member of Paul’s inner circle
• He was:

◦    young when he began his ministry,

◦    suffered poor health

◦   and was timid in character.

• He was:

◦   Committed and Consistent    ( 1 Cor 4.17)

◦   Concerned and compassionate   (Phil.3.30

◦   Chosen (1.8)

1. 2. Note

1. Paul had recently been released from a long imprisonment and had toured the churches
2. He left Timothy at Ephesus to sort out a constellation of problems that had emerged

◦   False teachings

◦   Order in worship

◦   Materialism

1. It was not an easy assignment given that the Church was well established and ministering in one of the hardest places in the empire

Paul writes to Timothy to encourage, advise and MOTIVATE him. He writes to keep Timothy motivated and focused for the long race ahead.

1. 3. Motivation

• Motivation  can be a problem for most of us in much of life
• Motivation can come through the carrot and stick, from within or from outside ourselves

What motivates us to do … nice things? Unpleasant things?

Here are a few things many Christians may find it hard to feel motivated in…

• Bible reading
• Giving
• Attending prayer meetings
• Taking a regular part in the churches ministry
• Prayer

◦   What motivates us to keep going and keep focused

In 1 Timothy Paul writes to Timothy to refresh his motivation. He has a hard job and things are wearing him down. Now Paul writes to fire up TIMOTHY

▪   Let Gods calling, power and grace make you a person of influence

▪   Let God’s truth flow through you to change your life

▪   Dont forget what God has done for you

▪   Good examples and friends will keep you focused

▪   Prayer and connecting with God

▪   Moving from a foundation of truth

▪   How to energise your faith

▪   Serve your way to significance

▪   Relating to people and things

MOTIVATION ONE – FOCUS ON THE TRUTH                                                                                             1 Tim 1.1-3

“ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine”,

1. 1. Who?

i.    Paul   – an Apostle by command, by the will of God.

1. One sent
2. Under orders
3. By the Will and purposes of God
4. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF… For us as well as Paul

ii.    Timothy – a son in the faith

1. Synergy, we are stronger together and more effective
2. We do not have to be the same, Timothy and Paul had very diverse backgrounds, ages and experiences. God blended together an effective team

What problems and challenges do you think they and to work through in order to achieve synergy?

iii.    Church at Ephesus

1. Famous church, closely connected to Paul
2. Timothy is to stay there
3. And deal with its problems – teach pure doctrine

1. In verses 3 to 5 What does Paul command Timothy to do ?

Note

• The word charge is a military word, no playing around here0 this s serious. Lives are at stake.
• No other doctrine is a compound word meaning of a different kind

3 I asked you to stay longer in Ephesus when I went into Macedonia so you could command some people there to stop teaching false things.4 Tell them not to spend their time on stories that are not true and on long lists of names in family histories. These things only bring arguments; they do not help God’s work, which is done in faith.5 The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith.6 Some people have missed these things and turned to useless talk.7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand either what they are talking about or what they are sure about

• Stay there at Ephesus
• Command them to stop teaching heresy
• Stop them arguing
• Foster love

A note on Heresy

The original word means to choose, the idea is that we choose to believe what is right and legitimate or believe something that is false. Orthodoxy in a sense developed over time and was based on the apostles teaching and the consensus fidelium (agreement of the faithful). Within the Christian faith there is much scope for differences in belief and emphasis, the core doctrines and practices however must be maintained. Heresy is itself destructive, often short lived and has a destabilising influence

• What do you think are the origins of heresy – why do people develop wrong ideas
• What particular doctrines do you think are most often affected?
• Heresy – ancient and modern.. for exampoe
  • Denial of Christ’s humanity / deity
  • Denial of Christ’s redemptive work
  • Weird ideas about the Godhead
  • Weird ideas about the nature of Christ
  • Weird ideas about the church
  • Denial of the personhood of the Holy spirit

1. Verses 3-7 describe the nature and activity of false teachers

• False teaching
• Stories, conjecture, opinion
• Divisive
• Faithless
• Self conceited and self promotion

Conclusion

Our first motivation is that we know the REAL TRUTH, we are not believing or following a fairy story or some vague philosophy, this is God’s truth! All of this is summed up in Paul’s words at the very start of the letter:”Christ our Hope”.

Hope is perhaps the least understood and ,most neglected of the three great Christian virtues (faith hope and love). Hope speaks of confidence for the future, security for the present and forgiveness of the past. Hope refers to the resurrection of Christ and of ours in the future. Hope speaks of a connection and relationship wit God himself. In a world where hope is absent, we have a hope that is both sure and certain… be motivated!

General background introductory notes for reference

Timothy

Was one of Paul’s converts  in the town called Lystra  (Acts14:8-20). young Timothy  joined Paul’s ministry upon a later visit to Lystra (Acts 16:1-4).Paul loved young Timothy, and affectionately referred to him as a son (Philippians 2:22; 1 Timothy 1:2;2 Timothy 1:2). These men are virtually inseparable throughout the New Testament as they work closely together (Acts 18:5, 19:22), co-author books of the Bible(2 Corinthians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1;1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1), and serve God  side-by-side (1 Corinthians 4:17, 16:10; Romans16:21). Occasionally, however, they were separated, because Paul would send Timothy on important missions to straighten out problems that arose in various local churches (e.g. I Thessalonians 3:1-6)

STUDY PLAN

Read 1 Timothy a section at a time

Ask what is Paul saying to me about how to be motivated in my Christian life. What instructions, examples and warnings does Paul present me with. Use 2 different versions to do this.

*Please feel free to print this study and make copies, but do not change the content in any way*

As we study Isaiah we will be warmed, challenged and maybe even excited to find that God is indeed our salvation.

Come and join us on a Sunday to find out more.

The Church is God’s idea! What then should the Church be like? How should we connect with one another and how should we function? Each Sunday morning we will be looking carefully at “God’s good church guide”.

Sunday Evenings from 19th August: ‘Genesis’.

Have you ever noticed how many times the word WHY comes up in conversation? Some of the questions we ask are not that important but some are vital. In this exciting and highly relevant new series we will be looking at how the Bible answers some of the great questions of life. Who am I? What is life all about? Who is God? What is he like? Why are things so bad at times? How do I know and enjoy God?

Come along and hear more! Click here to find out where and when.